Midsummer Break
by Rosethorn
Summary: Three years into their marriage, Dirk takes Talia home for a visit. Chaos ensues. Review! ON HOLD FOR AN INDEFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME.
1. Talia

A/N: Three years into their marriage, Dirk and Talia _finally_ manage to get time to go home and see Dirk's family. Chaos ensues. Enjoy.

Talia bit her lip, staring into the middle distance. Rolan, sensing his Chosen's nerves, pranced uncertainly around the road, finally bumping into Ahrodie and jarring Talia out of her trance. She smiled nervously at her lifemate.

Dirk sighed, reached over and took her hand. "You'll be fine, little bird. They will _love _you."

"I....guess I can't convince my gut of that," she replied, staring off into the distance again. "I mean, logically, I know they will, but..."

"...emotions are hard to convince," he finished. 

She favoured him with a bright smile, then bit her lip again. "I'm used to being unloved," she admitted. "I was conditioned to think that if my own family couldn't love me then I must be a horrible person who didn't deserve to be loved." Dirk squeezed her hand and sent a pulse of love down their lifebond. She smiled at him again, and continued. "But now I have Rolan."

"And me. Always me."

"I know." Her eyes drifted off towards Rolan's ears.

"Besides," Dirk added, "they accepted Kris with no trouble at all. I should think they'd have no problems with you."

Talia threw her head back and laughed merrily, and after a moment, Dirk joined in.

Suddenly, a child's shrieks came from the side of the road. "Uncle Dirk! Uncle Dirk!" A small girl raced from the trees, flung her arms around a calm Ahrodie's nose, and then ran around to Dirk's stirrup, jumping up and down in excitement. "Uncle Dirk!"

She was followed by a young boy, who repeated her performance, adding, "Laury, _move!"_ to the yells. Dirk laughed and dismounted, giving both children large hugs. Talia remained on Rolan, feeling suddenly very shy.

Dirk freed himself from the children--twins, from all appearances--and turned, offering his hand to Talia. She took it and dismounted, as Dirk turned back to the children. "This is my wife, Talia," he told them. "Your aunt. Love, this is Laury and Tamsin, my sister's twins."

Talia smiled at them, and they, taking her smile for some kind of signal, swarmed her legs, each becoming a minature barnacle, screaming, "Auntie Tal'a!" with the same abandon they'd given to Dirk. Surprised by the affection, she laughed, and knelt to return the hugs.

Dirk quietly collected the mules and threw the reins over both Companions' heads, then removed the twins from Talia's legs. "Go play," he told them. "We'll see you at dinner." Shrieking, they ran off again, and he turned to Talia, grinning. "You see?"

She nodded--she did see. If his whole family accepted people like these two, she could understand Kris's bemusement. 

A/N: Not done yet. Not near done. Hang in there. Oh, and does anyone know if ML named Dirk's mother?


	2. Elyose

A/N: Hurrah, hurrah, update! :)

Elyose watched as Karolyn fidgeted with her embroidery, and finally put it down. She sighed...it was no use. 

"Karo, can't you just stop," she began, exasperated. Karo turned to pin her with a sharp glance, cutting her words off with a knife of silence. 

"Mother, you don't understand," her daughter said, sounding annoyed and a little frightened. "You weren't here...you didn't see what Naril did to him. I won't see him hurt like that again, I _won't."_

"They're _lifebonded,_ Karo_._ Whatever he feels, she feels, and she's a Herald, for Astera's sake. Put your prejudices aside for one moment!"

"No," Karolyn said simply, then turned back to the window. 

Elyose sighed. She hadn't taught her daughter well enough. _I hope Karo remembers her manners and at least _pretends _to welcome the girl..._

"Mama!" Tamsin popped in the window. "Grandmama, Uncle Dirk's home!" He popped out again, as Karo let out a warning shout and got up. 

"Try to be open-minded," she said. Karo shook her head, then went after her son.

"Mother?" Dirk's voice. Elyose sighed. Somehow she had missed them. Perhaps they came down the north road? But why? 

"Coming, love, coming." She got up, feeling her bones creak, and went over to the door. There he was, smiling happily and holding the hand of a small woman with large brown eyes and a sweet, heart-shaped face. The uncertainty in those eyes and on that face made Elyose's heart ache, and she resolved to keep Karo away from the poor youngling until she could talk some sense into her daughter.

"Hello, Mother," Dirk said, warmly. "This is my wife, Talia. Love, this is my mother." 

Talia stepped forward, a smile warming her eyes, although not dispelling the uncertainty there. "Hello," she said, in a soft, shy voice. 

"Hello, dear. It's wonderful to meet you at last. Astera knows Dirk's talked and talked about you and made us all wild with curiosity!" Elyose smiled warmly at the girl. "I understand you share my Gift."

"If you mean Empathy, yes, I do." She spoke quickly, and quietly, in a light contralto that reminded Elyose of the woodlark Dirk had brought home, the last time he'd _been_ home, three years ago. Which reminded her...

She shot Dirk a narrow-eyed glance. "Dare I hope you managed to convince my son to come home at last?" Dirk had the grace to look embarrassed.

Talia laughed. "No, it was entirely Selenay's fault we've stayed away so long. What with the war, and all..." She fell suddenly silent, and Dirk gave her hand a squeeze. Elyose smiled inwardly at the display of affection, and nodded sympathetically at the girl. "I've been on duty too much," Talia finally continued. 

"Ah, well, I suppose I'll have to forgive you, now that you're finally here," she said, cheerfully. "Come and meet the rest. Dirk, you've got your usual room, so if you want to take the bags up..." She raised her eyebrow, and hoped that Dirk caught the broad hint.

Dirk grinned and winked at her, giving the impression that he had indeed caught the hint. His next words confirmed it. "Yes, Mother. Play nice, all right?" He gave Elyose a large hug, kissed Talia warmly and went back out the door towards the stables.

Elyose sighed. "He's a good boy, but he can be dense sometimes," she explained to Talia. "Come along, now, dear, my husband's in the kitchen."


	3. Trevan

Trevan whistled a jaunty tune, whittling away at the toy one of his grandsons had broken two days ago. The boy had been sobbing until Trevan assured him he could make it into a smaller but _better_ toy, whereupon the tears dried up and the boy went skipping off to annoy his sisters and cousins. 

Speaking of his descendants...Trevan frowned and set the toy and the knife on a table where the children couldn't reach them. His son was supposed to have been home today, yet there was no sign of him. He groaned as he got up, supporting himself on the table.

"Trevan!" Elyose scolded, sailing in the door. "I told you not to move! That knee will give out on you, you mark my words."

"Yes, dear," he said automatically, sitting down when she glared at him. "Any sign of Dirk?"  
"He's home, just left to take the bags upstairs. Come on in, dear...this is my husband, Trevan." 

Trevan raised an eyebrow at his wife and was about to ask her if she was hearing voices when a young woman stepped into the kitchen. She looked very shy, the poor thing, just like Kris when Dirk first dragged him home. "Ah, you must be Talia," he exclaimed, getting up again to kiss her hand. Ignoring Elyose's warning shout, he smiled warmly at the poor girl. "Welcome to our farm. Please excuse the chaos."

He was rewarded with a sudden, brilliant smile. "I grew up on a farm," she assured him. "It was much more chaotic with nine wives and twenty littles."

"Bright Astera! I can only imagine..." Trevan shuddered. "Not that my wife wouldn't kill me if I even dreamed of taking another wife."

"You had better believe it," Elyose added from over his shoulder. "Is it not said that 'the one who knows how to put you together also knows how to take you apart?'"

Talia laughed. "I can believe it...I've known a few Healers myself."

"All of whom complain about me," Dirk said, coming in the kitchen. He greeted Talia with a kiss, and Trevan was gratified to see that both of them lit up in the other's presence. "Hello, Father."

"About time you came home, lad," Trevan mock-snapped. "It's been three years!"

"Yes, yes, I know. Trouble in Haven. You must have heard..."

"Yes, we did," Elyose said, and rolled her eyes. "Mostly from that ruffian Skif."

"So here's where he's been going!" Talia exclaimed. "He keeps disappearing."

"Usually, yes. He visits about three times a year. I expect you two to come up here at least once. Twice when I've got grandchildren."

"_Mother!" _Dirk blushed, and so did Talia, but Trevan noted Talia's sudden embarrassment with interest.

After a while, Dirk took his wife to meet the rest of his family and Trevan was left alone with Elyose. "Well?" he asked.

"She's definitely pregnant," Elyose said, answering the unspoken question. "Not very far along...I daresay even she doesn't know for sure. But it's definite."

"Good." Trevan grinned at the door.

A/N: *ducks rotten flying fruit* Hey, I updated, didn't I? Put up with it. Philes in the audience…allow me to highly recommend a fanfic called The Adventures of Spender in Valdemar…it's highly entertaining. :)


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